1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an air cleaner, and, more particularly, to an air cleaner which is provided with a regenerative deodorizing filter to efficiently treat offensive odors, volatile organic compounds, detrimental constituents and the like, and a method of regenerating the regenerative deodorizing filter of the air cleaner.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, an air cleaner is extensively used in homes, public facilities and industrial facilities, as means for treating particulate substances, bacteria, offensive odors, volatile organic compounds, detrimental constituents and the like and thus provide pleasant clean air.
The air cleaner is typically comprised of a plurality of filters for treating particulate substances such as dust and bacteria, and a deodorizing filter for treating gaseous substances such as offensive odors, volatile organic compounds, detrimental constituents and the like.
In the field of the filter, which is designed to treat particulate substances, a filter which is adapted to employ the sieving effect for particulate substances, and an electrostatic precipitation filter which is adapted to employ static electricity, are predominantly used. Meanwhile, in the field of the deodorizing filter, which is designed to treat gaseous substances, a fixed-bed adsorption filter which is adapted to use activated carbon and zeolite, an ozone oxidation filter which is adapted to use ozone, and a photocatalytic filter which is adapted to use photocatalyst, are predominantly used.
Among these, in the fixed-bed adsorption filter adapted to use activated carbon and zeolite, there are unfavorable drawbacks in that an amount of equilibrium adsorption at a low concentration is decreased, constituents adsorbed on the filter are desorbed depending on the exterior environment including an external temperature and a concentration because the constituents are adsorbed on the filter due to the physical bonding, and it does not have regenerative capacity by itself thus causing the shortened service life.
In the ozone oxidation filter, which is a system adapted to employ the oxidizability of ozone, although the filter can be used over a prolonged period of time without the replacement, it has drawbacks in that since it uses ozone, which is environmental pollutant, the ozone, which has not been yet reacted and then discharged to the atmosphere, may cause asthma, allergy and the like.
Further, in the air cleaner which use a photocatalytic filter, as disclosed in Korean Unexamined Patent Publication No. 10-2005-66353, there are unfavorable drawbacks in that the reaction rate at which the photocatalyst reacts detrimental constituents is decreased, it is difficult to conduct the uniform ultraviolet irradiation, and there is generation of accessory detrimental constituents such as ozone during the reaction process.